Top 5 Tips to Baby Proof Your Home

When your little one starts moving and crushing on his or her own, it is time to make sure your house is completely baby proof. This is because nothing is cuter and more curious than a baby. Babies and toddlers have this unique ability to get in places you never thought possible. Making sure your home is completely safe for your little one is the key to avoiding accidents. But what should you do to make sure your home is safe for your baby?

1. Baby proof the stairs

There is nothing scarier than seeing your baby fall down the stairs. If your stairs are not padded enough, the fall can be dangerous irrespective of how far they fall. Your best line of defense is to make sure your child never gets close to the staircase in the first place. To do this, you need a stair gate. Baby gates are the most reliable and obvious ways of keeping a baby away from risky areas. The best thing is the market is filled with so many baby gates to choose from.

Make sure the stair gates are well anchored because an unstable gate can pose more risk. In whatever you do, avoid the accordion baby gates. You should also check to see if the gates you are considering have been recalled.

When buying stair gates, you need to consider the frequency of use, space requirements, portability, style, and design as well as the age of your baby. Toddlers can easily climb over certain stair gates. Ensure the gate you purchase is high and stable enough.

2. Baby proof everything electrical

Babies plus electricity equals disaster. You will be surprised by the type of objects your baby will innocently try to squeeze into the power outlets. Don’t be surprised if you find them trying to pour liquids into a power extension cable either. Bearing in mind how dangerous electricity is and how curious babies can be, you have to do everything possible to baby proof them. Here are some important things you should do.

· Get outlet covers

You will be spoilt for choice when shopping for outlet covers. The best ones are those that keep children from accessing the electrical socket but also allow you easy access. The outlet covers must also be made of non-toxic plastic in case your baby tries to nibble on them.

· Replace electrical outlets

While most electrical outlets have leads that keep children from poking things into them, the lids are prone to wear and tear. If your outlets don’t have shutters, you need to replace them immediately or make use of outlet covers.

· Keep electronics out of reach

Your baby will always want to explore everything around the house including how the television works. Don’t be surprised if he yanks at the power cable or tries to climb up the cables to get to the television, microwave or any other appliance. Using wall brackets to cover the cables and keeping electronics out of reach will save you a lot of trouble.

You will be surprised by the sheer number of items you can buy to baby proof everything electrical in your home. Make use of the ones that work for you.

3. Prevent common accidents

To prevent common accidents, the first thing you need to do is make sure there are no objects lying around that can cause your child to fall. The presence of objects on the floor and the lack of supervision increases the risk of accidents in a home. When your baby starts crawling or walking, it will be best to keep your home as clutter-free as possible. You also need to keep the floors dry, raise the bed-rail of the cot when the baby is not in it, avoid placing chairs next to a window and check the floors for wear and tear.

Choking is another common accident you should strive to prevent. Babies will try and chew everything and may even try and swallow. Swallowing foreign objects, suffocating under blankets, and strangulation are just some of the things you need to keep an eye on. To avoid these issues, you need to do the following:

· Pick toys that are appropriate for your child’s age,

· Keep small objects, plastic bags, and strings out of your child’s reach

· Lock foldable furniture

· Supervise the use of milk bottles

· Never leave your child alone in the bathtub or near a pool of water

· Cover buckets that are filled with water

Burns also make the list of common accidents. Start by ensuring there is a proper door or fence that has been installed at the kitchen’s entrance. When cooking you need to turn the handle of the pan away from the front. All hot objects must be kept out of the reach of children.

The list of things to do to prevent common accidents is simply endless. While accidents cannot be avoided completely, their occurrence can be prevented.

4. Lay on the floor and take inventory of everything

When your baby starts to crawl, you need to lay on the floor and take a look around. What level can the baby reach and which areas seem dangerous? Is your furniture stable? According to Safe Kids Worldwide, a child dies every 3 weeks from a television tipping over. Considering your baby will start using the furniture as their personal walker, you need to make sure heavy objects are on stable furniture. All pieces of furniture that can topple must be removed from children’s reach.

5. Keep bathrooms locked

Last but not least, you have to keep the rooms with hazardous objects locked. This is more so when it comes to the bathroom, kitchen, storage, and basements. You also need to limit access to cupboards and any area children can climb up.

While babies start moving on their own from the age of 6 months, finding a home that grows with your family is something you should start doing early. Some homes are too dangerous for kids and baby proofing them will cost a lot of money. If you are in a hazardous rental building, you should think about relocating before your child starts crawling. You should also not be afraid of calling in a professional to help with baby proofing.